Lucy Burns Inst

<p style="border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 23px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">===<p style="border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 23px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">see sam adams<p style="border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 23px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">see eric o'keefe

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lucy_Burns_Institute">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lucy_Burns_Institute</a>  cf prwatch

added franklin

=The donors investigated by CMD provided more than half of the contribution revenue over the researched time period for several conservative news operations, including the Lucy Burns Institute and the American Media Institute.Here are some of the biggest recipients of grants from these funders.<h2 class="p1" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; word-spacing: 3.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lucy Burns Institute—$13.4 million</h2>The <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lucy_Burns_Institute" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Lucy Burns Institute</a>, a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit and member of the right-wing State Policy Network, received the most money from these nonprofit donors out of all media recipients. From 2015-18, the Institute took in nearly $13.4 million, mostly from DonorsTrust and DCF but also from the Coors Foundation, Bradley Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Searle Freedom Trust. The Institute’s 2018 tax return is not yet publicly available, but grants from these six donors amounted to 76 percent of the Institute’s contribution revenue from 2015-17.The Lucy Burns Institute runs the mainstream political database Ballotpedia. Its president, Leslie Graves, is married to GOP operative, Koch and Tea Party ally <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Eric_O%27Keefe" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Eric O’Keefe</a>, and Institute staff have been <a href="https://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/11/11791/lucy-burns-institute-publishers-ballotpedia-judgepedia-and-wikifoia-and-her-right" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">trained by Koch institutions</a>.The Lucy Burns Institute Board of Directors has members who are fixtures in the Koch-backed conservative political movement. Director Tim Dunn, the founder and CEO of an oil and gas company in Texas, is chairman of the <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Empower_Texans_Foundation" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Empower Texans Foundation</a>, a group funded by DonorsTrust that has worked with Koch’s Americans for Prosperity, and vice chairman of the Koch-funded Texas Public Policy Foundation. Board member Jack McHugh is senior legislative analyst at the Koch-backed Mackinac Center for Public Policy.Director Todd Graves is an attorney who represented the Wisconsin Club for Growth, a Koch network nonprofit whose leadership includes board member O’Keefe, the founder of the media group now known as the <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Franklin_Center_for_Government_and_Public_Integrity" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Franklin News Foundation</a>, in Wisconsin’s John Doe investigations. Plaintiffs in the case accused then-Gov. Scott Walker of illegally coordinating with the Wisconsin Club for Growth. Conservative nonprofits researched by CMD gave over $1.1 million to the Franklin News Foundation, which publishes conservative news wire and website <a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2019/05/30/franklins-right-wing-watchdog-or" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background: 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">The Center Square</a>, from 2015-18.<p style="border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 23px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/11791">http://www.prwatch.org/print/11791</a>

Through these online resources, LBI says it is dedicated to "openness in politics on both sides of the aisle" and "empowering ordinary citizens with ways to both learn about local government, and share the information they learn with others." But there is some information LBI does not want to share. Even though the organization is a major proponent of transparency in government operations and budgeting, it provides limited information about how the organization itself is funded.

As a consequence, when reporters and other users of LBI's resources cite the organization's work, they may not be aware of its close ties to right-wing funders and organizations including foundations and organizations associated with the Koch brothers. Below we use foundation annual reports, IRS 990 filings, archived materials, and other resources to detail these connections.

<h2 style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.25;">LBI Receives Funds From the Conservative Sam Adams Alliance</h2>

<p style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;">LBI <a href="http://lburnsinstitute.org/events/lucy-burns-institute-is-the-new-sponsor-of-ballotpedia-and-judgepedia.html" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">took over</a> [7] Ballotpedia and Judgepedia from the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) in 2009 and <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/205/792/2010-205792227-07ed1352-9.pdf" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">continues to receive</a> [8] funding from SAM, as of their most recent IRS filing. SAM is a 501(c)3 public charity that says it is <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sam-adams-alliance-launches-new-website-85374402.html" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">devoted</a> [9] to pushing "free-market principles." Of its <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/ReportOrganization.aspx?ein=20-5792227" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">$3.9 million</a> [10] budget, SAM also provides funding to groups such as the Tea Party Patriots Foundation, the First Freedom Foundation, and the Citizens in Charge Foundation. SAM gets funding from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=State_Policy_Network" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">State Policy Network</a> [11] (SPN) which is partially funded by The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Koch_Family_Foundations" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Claude R. Lambe Foundation</a> [12], a project of Charles Koch who co-owns Koch Industries with his brother David.

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Leslie_Graves" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Leslie Graves</a> [13] is the <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/User:Leslie_Graves" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">president</a> [14] of LBI. In 2006, Graves <a href="http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/08/27/1833041.htm" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">started</a> [15] Renewal Voter  Outreach,  <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/08/04/233235/--Unlimited-Terms-of-Endearment-Part-VIII-America-At-Its-Worst" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">registering</a> [16] it as a Nebraska Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). The  company was paid  <a href="http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/08/27/1833041.htm" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">$1.4 million</a> [15] to conduct petition drives for two ballot initiatives in Nebraska. One was in favor of a "Humane Care" amendment to the state constitution which would prevent the withholding of food and water from terminally ill patients at the request of their kin, unless there were a written "advance directive," or living will, specifying otherwise. According to The Omaha World-Herald, about <a href="http://newnebraska.blogspot.com/2006/09/downside-of-humane-care-amendment-not.html" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">one out of every five signatures</a> [17] needed to get the amendment on the ballot, were  <a href="http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763744352/44352_ch03_pass1.pdf" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">thrown out</a> [18]. The other petition drive was for a ballot measure to put a cap  on state spending, which also failed. A <a href="http://www.hartwilliams.com/blog/2006/08/unlimited-terms-of-endearment-part_03.html" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">blogger</a> [19] traced the string of connections between a nonprofit organization, tied to her husband Eric O'Keefe (who <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005/363/975/2005-363975580-02a91cbf-9O.pdf" target="_blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">previously sat</a> [20] on the board) and his daughter (who served as director), which provided money to a group which then funded two other  groups which in turn provided funding to Graves' LLC to collect the petitions.

Graves has also been <a href="http://www.patronsaintpr.com/resources/articles/newsletter/bp05-4.pdf" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">very involved</a> [21] with Rachel's Vineyard, a Catholic organization that offers weekend retreats for women who have had abortions, which is intended to reconcile what the ministry <a href="http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/PDF/Articles/Post%20Abortion%20Healing%20-%20Theresa%20Burke.pdf" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">calls</a> [22] "the sin of abortion."

O'Keefe is the CEO of SAM. O'Keefe has been featured at events funded by David Koch's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Prosperity" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a> [23] (AFP) group which is heavily involved in supporting right-wing politicians with independent expenditures and other assistance that stretches the limits of legality. O'Keefe is a right-wing political operative that has deep ties to the Koch brothers. He helped launch the American Majority Tea Party group which trains right-wing candidates to run for office. He <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wisconsin-gov-scott-walkers-recall-sharpens-fight-over-money-in-politics/2012/03/22/gIQAbUHDaS_story_1.html" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">sits</a> [24] on the Board of Directors of the Club for Growth Wisconsin, which ran divisive ads in support of Governor Scott Walker's radical overhaul of collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin workers. He has also served on the board of Koch's Institute for Humane Studies, the Center for Competitive Politics, and chairs the Health Care Compact Alliance.

On its 2009, <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/205/792/2009-205792227-06a4cb29-9.pdf" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">990 form</a> [25], SAM listed that it "entered into a contract with Lucy Burns Institute (LBI) which provided LBI with sponsorship of Ballotpedia and Judgepedia." Graves <a href="http://lburnsinstitute.org/events/lucy-burns-institute-is-the-new-sponsor-of-ballotpedia-and-judgepedia.html" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">worked</a> [7] as a part-time consultant to SAM from 2008-2009. LBI also appears to be a family affair, employing two of the Graves/O'Keefe family daughters.

<h2 style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.25;">Many LBI Staff Trained By Koch Institutions, Other Right-Wing Ties</h2>

The LBI staff -- based both in Madison and other parts of the country -- have links to right-wing organizations and individuals, including the Kochs.

Graves, formerly known as Leslie Key, became the Wisconsin chair of the Libertarian Party in 1979 and <a href="http://www.lpedia.org/Libertarian_Party_of_Wisconsin" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">served</a> [26] as a regional representative on the Libertarian National Committee until 1983. She likely ran into David Koch as he ran for Vice President on the Libertarian line in 1980. Before her stint in politics, Leslie served as an editor for the Update newsletter, published by the Libertarian Review Foundation. The publication was <a href="http://mises.org/journals/lf/1982/1982_08.pdf" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">criticized</a> [27] in the Libertarian Forum for being "an unofficial organ" disseminating the views of Ed Crane, the founder of the Cato Institute who served as its president until October 2012. A 1981 <a href="http://mises.org/journals/lf/1982/1982_08.pdf" target="_blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">memo</a> [27] from Crane to Graves and David Koch illustrates the relationship: "David Koch has indicated he will kick in $10,000 to Update next year. If Leslie is very nice to him we might be able to talk him into $5,000 more (right, David?)."

<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/User:Gpallay" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Geoff Pallay</a> [28], special projects director of Ballotpedia, is a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/7/73/Geoff_Pallay_LinkedIn.jpg" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">graduate</a> [29] of the Koch Associate Program, a program of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. Beyond his time as a Koch associate, Pallay was steeped in the Koch ideology in other positions he held. He<a href="http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/2009/08/19/guest-blogger-geoff-pallay/" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">worked</a> [30] as a policy analyst for the South Carolina Policy Council, during which he was "also learning Market-Based-Management -- a management philosophy created by Charles Koch, CEO of Koch Industries." Pallay has been featured at events such as a <a href="http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=9135" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">policy forum</a> [31]earlier this year at the Cato Institute (along with Eric O'Keefe).

<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Ballotpedia:Kelly_O'Keefe" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Kelly O'Keefe</a> [32], Eric O'Keefe's daughter and the Director of Development for LBI, <a href="http://www.theihs.org/information-accepted-students-3" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">worked</a> [33] as development associate for the Koch-funded <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Institute_for_Humane_Studies" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Institute for Humane Studies</a> [34] (IHS), which works to identify, develop, and support young libertarians. She was also a Koch associate at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. (LBI also employs Graves' daughter, <a href="http://judgepedia.org/index.php/User:Sara_Key" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sara Key</a> [35], as Operations Officer.)

<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-bedford/11/855/9b5" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Christopher Bedford</a> [36], an associate editor at the right-wing news outlet The Daily Caller, is a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/a/ae/Christopher_bedford_LinkedIn.jpg" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">former staff writer</a> [37] for LBI and Koch associate for the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/c/cc/Eileen_McGuire-Mahony_LinkedIn_top.jpg" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Eileen McGuire-Mahony</a> [38], a former Ballotpedia Staff Writer, was also a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/a/af/Eileen_McGuire-Mahony_Experience.jpg" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Koch associate</a> [39]. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/7/73/Hannah_Mead.jpg" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Hannah Mead</a> [40], listed as a staff writer for Ballotpedia on her LinkedIn page, was also an <a href="http://www.spn.org/publications/todays-summer-fellow-tomorrows-center-director" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">IHS Koch Summer Fellow</a> [41].

LBI's board of directors also includes right-wing and Koch ties. LBI's secretary, Jack McHugh, is a <a href="http://www.mackinac.org/bio.aspx?ID=295" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">senior legislative analyst</a> [42] for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The Mackinac Center is a right-wing think tank, which has received some funding from the Kochs and is also a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Non-Profits" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">member</a> [43] of the <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a> [44] (ALEC). As previously <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/05/11490/koch-funded-mackinac-center-brings-wisconsin-act-10-provisions-alec" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">reported</a> [45] by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), the Mackinac Center has been using ALEC to push efforts to weaken unions, including dismantling public sector collective bargaining rights.

Erick Erickson, the Chairman of the Board and Managing Editor of Redstate, is a board member of LBI. Redstate is the "leading conservative news blog for right of center online activists." Breitbart TV <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/08/04/Erick-Erickson-Dana-Loesch" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">describes</a> [46] Erickson as a "right wing hero." In years past, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/5/57/Lorri_Pickens_LinkedIn.jpg" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Lorri Pickens</a>[47] has <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/208/036/2007-208036372-048cd938-9.pdf" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">served</a> [48] as the secretary/treasurer of LBI. Pickens currently works as the Director of State Operations for David Koch's AFP and previously served as outreach coordinator for SAM.

While LBI states that it is dedicated to transparency, it does not list any Board members nor any information about its funding on its website. The staff profiles that are listed on the website do not mention the Koch connections, but do include details about half marathons, pet dogs, and home renovations. Graves' <a href="http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/User:Leslie_Graves" target="_blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">profile</a> [49] is notably bare.

<h2 style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.25;">LBI and the Sunshine Review</h2>

LBI and SAM have both provided funding to the Sunshine Review, a 501(c)3 <a href="http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About" target="blank" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">non-profit</a> [50] organization "dedicated to state and local government transparency." In 2010, it <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/205/792/2010-205792227-07ed1352-9.pdf" target="blank" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">received over</a> [8] $560,000 from SAM. LBI <a href="http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About" target="_blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">works in collaboration</a> [50] with the Sunshine Review on the WikiFOIA project and the Sunshine Review's logo is listed prominently on the homepage of LBI. The organization was founded in July 2008 as a project of SAM, but separated from SAM in 2010. According to LBI's 990 forms, the institute has given the Sunshine Review $231,458 from 2008-2010. According to the group's most recently available 990 form, Graves is a chair of Sunshine Review.

The Sunshine Review is listed as a <a href="http://www.charleskochinstitute.org/associate-program/partner-organizations" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">partner organization</a> [51] of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation for its associate program. LBI has been <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/20/1008835/-Another-ALEC-trick-at-Federal-Level-EXPOSED" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">listed</a> [52] in the past as a Koch partner organization.

The Sunshine Review is an ALEC Private Sector Member. Michael Barnhart, the president of the organization, represents the Sunshine Review on ALEC's Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. At the ALEC 2010 meeting in San Diego, Barnhart discussed proposed <a href="http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/tfp35-daymailing%20San%20Diego.pdf" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">model legislation</a> [53]: "The Transparency and Government Accountability Act." It was adopted by the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force in August 2010, and <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/4/4a/8F8-The_Transparency_and_Government_Accountability_Act_Exposed.pdf" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">approved</a> [54] by the ALEC Board of Directors in September 2010. Similar versions of this bill have been introduced in states such as <a href="http://www.progressva.org/alec/government_reform.html" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Virginia</a> [55], <a href="http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/session.aspx?Chamber=S&LegType=B&LegNo=195&year=10" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">New Mexico</a> [56], <a href="http://www.progressiowa.org/sections/press-room/4f8d0d663113a60012000002" target="blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Iowa</a> [57], and <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/101040862/Utah-ALEC-Report" target="_blank" style="font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Utah</a> [58]. The bill requires the development of a detailed website listing all revenue and expenditures of the state down to the level of each check. It also includes voting record information, open records information, information on lobbying and state contracts, and ethics information. While the idea seems unobjectionable, the detailed budgeting information has been criticized as a duplicative effort to showcase and make hay of perceived "wasteful spending."

The Sunshine Review also gives states a "Transparency Report Card" grading them at the level of state, county, city, and school district. The organization has evaluated over 6,000 government websites. The Sunshine Review has <a href="http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Sunshine_Review:About" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">worked</a> [50] closely with the National Taxpayers Union, another ALEC member dedicated to eliminating taxes and shrinking the size of government. NTU President <a href="http://www.ntu.org/about-ntu/staff/duane-parde.html" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Duane Parde</a> [59] is former Executive Director of ALEC. The group has been involved in <a href="http://www.ntu.org/in-your-state/iowa/iowa-spending-transparency.html" target="_blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">pushing</a> [60] this type of transparency legislation in states across the country, even before it was adopted by ALEC.

<h2 style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.25;">LBI and the State Policy Network</h2>

LBI also collaborates with other SPN members and ALEC funders, such as the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a national journalism organization launched by SAM. The Franklin Center has a presence in over 40 states with state-house news bureaus and journalists hosted by other outlets and think tanks. It provides its coverage free as a wire-like service and boasts that it "already provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide." As previously <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/node/10971" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">reported</a> [64] by CMD, despite their non-partisan description, many of these websites have received criticism for their right-wing bias. Ballotpedia has hosted a<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Today:post-election_analysis_webinar(presentations_available)" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> series</a> [65] of <a href="http://ballotnews.org/2012/06/14/today-2012-state-executive-election-webinar-featuring-scott-rasmussen/" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">webinars</a> [66] on elections with the Franklin Center. According to the Franklin Center's 2009 990 <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/264/066/2009-264066298-068fdb77-9.pdf" target="blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">report</a> [67], it gave $43,000 to LBI that year.

<h2 style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; border: 0px; margin: 1em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.25;">Transparency "Critical" for Groups Pushing Transparency</h2>

For instance, on Judgepedia, one of the resources offered is a list of blogs that cover  the judiciary or politics, broken down by state. The Wisconsin  list, for example,  names 25 blogs. Of these blogs, 19 have a conservative slant, one has a  liberal slant, three are balanced and the other two are no longer  accessible. Graves' daughter, Sara Key, has done most of the edits on  this page.

<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100613120119/http://judgepedia.org/index.php/User:Sara_Key"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"> http://web.archive.org/web/20100613120119/http://judgepedia.org/index.php/User:Sara_Key</a>

Since transparency and citizen participation is part of the LBI mission, it is notable that there is no information about how LBI is funded on any of its many websites. The website for the Sunshine Review, which also sponsors WikiFoia, <a href="http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Press_Room#ixzz2CQdiR7H0" target="_blank" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">reads</a> [68]: "Sunshine Review is funded largely by grants and a number of private donations. Our organization believes there is a difference between government transparency and personal privacy and for this reason we do not disclose our donors." Perhaps Graves and O'Keefe share that philosophy.

Other organizations working on electoral and governmental transparency disagree. For an organization that is pushing government transparency, it is "critical in achieving its own level of credibility" to be upfront about its funding sources, says Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). Her organization runs Open Secrets, the "nation's premier website tracking the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives" and lists its funders on its website, as well as lengthy profiles of its board members and staff.

"The primary reason that an organization would hide these funding ties is that it is either unaware of this oversight, or it is seeking to hide relationships that are inappropriate or deemed unfavorable to those who might be judging the credibility of the organization," Krumholz said. "Being forthright allows people to consider what motivations may be in play and what a source stands to gain or lose."

--(Leslie Graves is not related in any way to the Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy in Madison, Wisconsin, Lisa Graves.)

</div>

<li class="field-item even" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px !important;"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/media" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 119, 187) !important; text-decoration: none;">Media</a> [69]</li>

</li><li style=" list-style: none;">

</li><li class="field-item odd" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px !important;"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/media/internet" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 119, 187) !important; text-decoration: none;">Internet</a> [70]</li>

</li><li class="field-item even" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px !important;"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/politics/right-wing" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 119, 187) !important; text-decoration: none;">Right Wing</a> [71]</li>

</li><li class="field-item odd" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px !important;"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/think-tanks/state-policy-network" style=" border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 119, 187) !important; text-decoration: none;">State Policy Network</a> [72]</li>

</ul>

</div>

</ul>

</div>

==

You could go to <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Eric_O'Keefe" target="blank" sl-processed="1" style=" border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: underline;">Ballotpedia</a> to check him out, except, if you didn’t KNOW that Leslie Graves was Eric’s wife, you’d never know that he is being given deferential treatment … since Leslie Graves has run Ballotpedia from the beginning underthree different Fictitious Business Names: Citizens in Charge (<a href="http://hisvorpal.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/water-tea-or-koch/" target="blank" sl-processed="1" style=" border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: underline;">Eric sits on the board, as noted in the last post</a>), Sam Adams Alliance (“<a href="http://www.samadamsalliance.org/about/our-board.aspx?member=eric-okeefe" target="blank" sl-processed="1" style=" border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: underline;">Eric O’Keefe is chairman and CEO of the Sam Adams Alliance</a>“) and <a href="http://lburnsinstitute.org/events/lucy-burns-institute-is-the-new-sponsor-of-ballotpedia-and-judgepedia.html" target="blank" sl-processed="1" style=" border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: underline;">now the “Lucy Burns Institute”</a>:

<p style="border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 7px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leslie Graves, the president of the Lucy Burns Institute, worked as a part-time consultant to the Sam Adams Alliance from June 2008-May 2009 and assisted in a variety of ways with developing Ballotpedia, Judgepedia and Sunshine Review.

</blockquote>

===

<ul>

<div class="kno-rdesc">Lucy Burns was an American suffragist and women's rights advocate. She was a passionate activist in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Burns was a close friend of Alice Paul, and together they ultimately formed the National Woman's Party. <a class="fl q kno-desca-lnk" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Burns" onmousedown="return rwt(this,'','','','23','AFQjCNEuA1MNiFEVIwNbfiQc9v58FIRvNQ','Z49cAI69Ot2R4pK0VH893w','0CLEBEJoTKAAwFg','','',event)" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Wikipedia</a></div>

</div>

</li>

</ul>

</div>

===

<a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/">http://www.lucyburns.org/</a>

big staff thus $

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;">Lucy Burns Institute<br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;">301 S. Bedford St., Suite 6<br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;">Madison, WI 53703 <br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;">(608) 255-0688 – phone<br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

<div class="staff-title">PRESIDENT:

<h4 class="staff-name" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; line-height: 2.1rem; display: inline;">Leslie Graves</h4>

</div>

<div class="staff-title">ADMINISTRATION:

</div>

<div class="staff-title">DEVELOPMENT:

</div>

<div class="staff-title">DONOR RELATIONS:

<h4 class="staff-name" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; line-height: 2.1rem; display: inline;">Jared Carl</h4>

</div>

<div class="staff-title">RESEARCH:

</div>

<div class="staff-title">POLICYPEDIA:

</div>

<div class="staff-title">BALLOTPEDIA EDITOR:

</div>

<div class="staff-title">JUDGEPEDIA EDITOR:

</div>

===

1/14

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Vacancies_by_court" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">2 Vacancies by court</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#New_confirmations" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3 New confirmations</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4 first" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Court_of_Appeals_for_the_District_of_Columbia" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.1 Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-5 first last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Cornelia_T.L.Pillard" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.1.1 Cornelia T. L. Pillard</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Western_District_of_New_York" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.2 Western District of New York</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-7 first last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Elizabeth_A._Wolford" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.2.1 Elizabeth A. Wolford</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#District_of_New_Hampshire" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.3 District of New Hampshire</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9 first last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Landya_McCafferty" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.3.1 Landya McCafferty</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10 last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#District_of_Montana" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.4 District of Montana</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11 first" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Brian_Morris" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.4.1 Brian Morris</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12 last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Susan_P._Watters" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">3.4.2 Susan P. Watters</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#New_vacancies" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">4 New vacancies</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14 first last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Southern_District_of_Florida" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">4.1 Southern District of Florida</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-15 first last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Donald_Graham" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">4.1.1 Donald Graham</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#New_nominations" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">5 New nominations</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-17" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Weekly_map" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">6 Weekly map</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Year_in_review" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">7 Year in review</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19 first" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Vacancy_by_court" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">7.1 Vacancy by court</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20 last" style=" margin: 0px; list-style: none;"><a href="http://www.lucyburns.org/newsbeats/the-wednesday-vacancy-count/#Maps_by_month" style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2.1rem; text-decoration: none;">7.2 Maps by month</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

Lucy Burns Inst

Attachments